Why Anorexia Targets Women

Eating disorders tend to go beyond the boundaries of needing to be skinny with restricted-eating habits (most seem to be attached to their owner psychologically). That is to say - the psychological factor is often the instigator behind a woman believing she is fat, overly fat, or even verging on the side of being obese.

Psychological factors often provoke an anorexia sufferer to act irrational by restricting their eating habits; thus, causing an insufficient intake of calories, minerals, and nutrients, etc., that the body so needs to stay healthy. Even starving by an anorexia sufferer is not such an uncommon practice, together with purging (eating, followed by forced/self-inflicted vomiting after-wards). Other symptoms may include: obsessive exercise, and the use of laxatives to help themselves lose-weight.

So why does anorexia affect more women than men?

The "media" has much to do with anorexia, as every time one watches the t.v., or flips through a magazine - the one thing that becomes apparent is - "the perfect look," where skinny women are "glamorized," and obese women are "looked-down upon" (a factor that can propel a woman [or child] into thinking she may be looked-down upon if she does not exhibit the same perfect profile that the public asks for.

Women are different to men with regards to beauty - remember, many women will not leave the house in the morning without putting their makeup on first (for the fear of not being seen to be beautiful [a psychological factor that men do not have to live with]). Also, it is quite commonly known - a man may have two or three pairs of shoes in the closet to combine with their clothes, whereas a woman may have a couple of dozen pairs of shoes in theirs (again a psychological factor for women, and considered an unnecessary aspect of life for most men]).

"Most" being the operable word here, as a small percentage of men do actually suffer from anorexia. However, many of that small percentage work in what are considered to be "women's jobs" by most men - dancers, and models, etc., and where there is a need to be fit and slim (although they do exist - fat dancers and models are not commonly called for by the public eye).

Some women are naturally thin/skinny, so no real work is needed in dieting and exercise. However, for most of us (the crowd) that is not the case, and where not even with dieting and exercise would we end-up with a finely sculptured

body as those that can be seen on the t.v., and in the many magazines that can be found at the local paper store.

Because of this, for a small percentage of women, the only option to obtain the perfect body is to eat less. However, a psychological factor seems to set-in on this journey where the perception of what is perfect/slim/skinny gets distorted (at this point, even less food is eaten, so as to become even skinnier - or more perfect as it is seen).

Also, subconsciously, an anorexia sufferer might even feel like they have accomplished something great by being able to control their eating (or at least that is what they think they are doing). More often than not, the same person will be so preoccupied with their eating habits (weight-loss), they may even forget about other important things in life, or may simply avoid doing them all together.

It is believed that anorexia sufferers feel a great sense of achievement because they are able to exercise an extreme degree of willpower over what they eat (or more so what they do not eat) and their weight (other reasons for anorexia eating disorders may be heredity).

Conclusion - The simple fact is that the media, tends to bring out the inbuilt weakness of a small percentage of women for the need to be perfect (beautiful), which is nothing more that a psychological aspect that is less important to men.-By Philip Albert Edmonds-Hunt

Causes Of Anorexia

Anorexia Nervosa is a serious condition where we can literally starve ourselves to death, thinking we're fat. The disorder can stem from physical, psychological and, sadly, intentional causes. In this article, we'll consider the different causes of anorexia, and discuss symptoms and treatment needs.

Physical Causes Of Anorexia: Studies are underway to determine if there is a genetic predisposition for anorexia, but short of that, any of a number of illnesses can actually cause a person to be anorexic. These include arthritis, colitis, kidney failure and cirrhosis of the liver. Also, advanced alcoholism and drug addiction can result in anorexia. If our diet is deficient in certain nutrients, like vitamins A, B3, or B8 we could develop anorexia as a deficiency symptom. Anorexia can be a medical drug side effect, too, so see your doctor. The cool thing about anorexia that had a physical cause is, once the physical condition is cleared up, the anorexia usually goes away, too.

Psychological Causes Of Anorexia: More difficult to treat are the psychological causes stress, depression and anxiety. In fact, anorexia nervosa is a severe anxiety over body weight. We actually see ourselves as being fat, even as we look in a mirror and see a body that's wasting away from hunger, with bones sticking out. It's this body image that's at the root of anorexia. Even when medical treatment restores a normal body weight, until the body image is corrected, the person will just lose it all again.

Intentional Causes Of Anorexia: This is probably the saddest part of the anorexia story. Some people actually cause themselves to become anorexic, accidentally, through fad diets or worse, intentionally, through a sick idea that the "anorexic look" is sexy. There are websites and companies making money by promoting self-starvation as a weight management tool. This creates the mindset of the negative body image which is at the heart of the disorder. I'm all for web freedom, but I think websites promoting anorexia are as bad as those promoting kiddy porn, and for the same reason...they're destroying lives.

Anorexia Symptoms And Treatment: Because the heart of anorexia is an irrational belief you're fat, most people are unlikely to look in the mirror and say, "I'd better get to the doctor." Since denial is a big part of the illness, the best way to see if you or a loved one needs to see a doctor is to take a self-test like this signs of anorexia nervosa quiz. Anorexia is never a self-treatment issue. You must see a doctor, get a proper diagnosis and get professional treatment. Anorexics, left to their own devices, often die. Often, treatment includes medical tests to determine the cause, food supplements to restore body weight, antidepressants or anxiety medicine and psychological therapy to get at the body image issue. How you see yourself is usually the key to the whole thing.

The cause of anorexia can be as simple as a vitamin deficiency or as complex as the human self-image. Often, those causes are physical, psychological and even intentional in nature. Whatever started it, anorexia is a serious condition that can be deadly if not treated. With proper treatment, though, recovery is very likely. If you suspect you or a loved one suffers from anorexia, get it checked by a doctor as soon as possible, so recovery can begin.

By Glen D. Williams

Eating Disorders - Anorexia Nervosa Effects

In this next article in our continuing series we're going to discuss the effects of Anorexia Nervosa on a person, as well as going over some facts and figures.

The main assault of this disease is that it focuses on self starvation. Since the body needs food as a basic means for survival, the effects of this disease are numerous to say the least. Because the body is not getting enough nutrition, it is forced to slow down in order to compensate for this. This slowing down can have serious consequences on a person's body.

There are a number of health consequences from Anorexia Nervosa. The main ones are as follows:

1. People suffering from this disease, after an extended period of time, suffer from an abnormally slow heart rate and very low blood pressure. This causes the heart muscle itself to change. The chance of heart failure rises as heart rate and blood pressure decrease.

2. Because of the lack of calcium in a person's diet, since they are not getting enough food in general, there is a great risk of reduced bone density, which is known as osteoporosis. This results in very dry and brittle bones which makes them very susceptible to breaking.

3. Again, because of the lack of nutrition, a person suffering from this disease will suffer from muscle weakness and potential muscle loss. This can lead to more serious muscular disorders.

4. Most people who suffer from this disease not only don't eat enough but also don't even drink enough water. This can result in severe dehydration which can ultimately lead to kidney failure.

5. Less serious symptoms, but certainly cause for concern, are overall weakness including fatigue and fainting, which in itself can be dangerous when behind the wheel of a car.

6. People suffering from this disease also suffer from thin and dry hair. Hair loss is very common.

7. Because of the overall deterioration of the body, a covering of hair begins to grow over the body in an effort to keep the body warm.

And now a few statistics about this disease that you may or may not be aware of.

a. About 90-95% of the people who suffer from this disease are women, most of them young girls.

b. About 1% of all American women suffer from Anorexia Nervosa.

c. Of all the psychiatric disorders, Anorexia Nervosa is the most common diagnosed in women in general.

d. The mortality rate of people suffering from Anorexia Nervosa is between 5 and 20%. The probability of death increases with the length of time the person has been suffering from the disease.

e. Anorexia Nervosa has one of the highest rates of death of all mental disorders.

f. The disease itself usually shows itself in early to mid adolescence.

The treatments for this disease are similar to the treatments for Bulimia. It is important that immediate psychiatric help is gotten for the sufferer. The quicker the diagnosis and treatment the greater the chance for survival.

By Michael Russell